How to Gain Flexibility according to Experts

With busy schedules and ever-growing work, every individual must spare some time for the well-being of his body. Gaining flexibility is one of the many milestones. Scientifically, flexibility reduces the chances of getting injured and increases the blood supply. Psychologically, it reduces stress and calms the mind. Biologically, it increases the nutrient supply to our body and reduces muscular tension. With so many benefits attached, why shouldn’t you work on gaining flexibility?

Toe Touch a day keeps the joint pain at bay.

          ‘We do not master the art in one day. Every goal requires considerate time and effort to be reached.’ To gain flexibility, an individual must start from a simple toe-touch exercise. Stand straight, bend your upper body without bending your knees and try touching your toes. It might seem burdensome at the start, but soon it will become your warm-up exercise. It is one of the beginner exercises to gain flexibility.

Yoga is the answer to every question.

          As the saying goes, ‘You bend, so you don't break. Yoga is quintessential to gain flexibility.’ With every yogic posture comes a little more stretch in your body. If you perform yoga every day, there is a vast chance of gaining flexibility by the end of the month. Practice Surya Namaskar and various asanas to create a flexible body and mind. 

Flexibility is not a destination. It is a process.

          Flexibility is mandatory in specific muscles of your body. By practising the toe-touch, you are gaining lower body flexibility. What exercises help in improving upper-body flexibility? Stand with your feet together, interlacing your finger and take a deep breath while you lift your feet off the ground. Hold the posture for 5 seconds and get back on your feet. 

If you are bored with the same exercise, try expanding your legs to a definite area and bend to the left side along with your right hand. Hold the posture for five to seven seconds and repeat the same on the other side. If you practice these exercises for half-an-hour daily, you are not very far from your goal. 

Keep your chest closer to the legs.

            Exercising is an empowering tool both, physically and mentally. Several exercises can help you improve flexibility only if you are willing to put in the effort. ‘The Seated Hamstring Stretch’ is a tough but powerful exercise to gain flexibility. Sit on the floor, straightening your legs and try touching the toes with extended arms. Once you reach the toes, bend your head to touch the thighs. As easy as the exercise sounds, to perform it is a back-breaking task. 

Do you dream about splitting your legs?

            Do you consider splitting your legs a farfetched fantasy? Well, as highly unbelievable as it sounds, a little bit of stretching can help you gain adequate flexibility to let your dream come true! After some warm-up exercises, extend your legs as per your ability and comfort. Keep your hands closer to the ground and, after some time, free your hands. Repeat the same process every day with a little more expansion in the legs every two to three days. In no time, you will see your body breaking all the limits and your dream coming true. Splitting your legs is one of the crucial steps towards gaining flexibility. Give your body, considerate time and effort to accomplish the goal. 

Only Exercise and no food makes Jack a dull boy.

              Gaining flexibility is not only about performing vigorous exercises and yogic postures. A balanced diet and adequate nutrient-intake complete the process of gaining flexibility. Proteins help in curing joint pain and other physical ailments you might get from exercising. No doubt, flexibility and protein do not have a direct connection, but a balanced diet improves and fastens the healing process. The better your diet is, the faster you will learn to practice unfamiliar exercises. So next time you plan on stretching, remember to have a good-quality meal afterwards. Some high protein food includes Eggs, Milk, Broccoli, Yogurt, Chicken and Oats. Add these quality food items to your breakfast and dinner lists. 

Master in practice and perseverance. 

               As the well-accomplished people once said, ‘It is not about mastering different exercises, it is about mastering perseverance and patience.’ To gain flexibility, it is not essential to practice different exercises every day. You can master flexibility by performing one posture every day with enough hold and endurance. Whether you try toe-touching or seated hamstring, try to maintain the position for more than fifteen seconds. People often fasten the process by performing every stance and holding them for less than 5 seconds. Honestly, it will neither increase your capacity nor flexibility. Your goal shouldn’t be performing as many exercises in 30 minutes. It should be performing adequate exercises with high-quality endurance and determination. 

Practice makes a man perfect.

               Whether you are a fitness enthusiast or an academic-lover, practice is the key to success. As mentioned before, flexibility is a slow process. You cannot achieve it overnight. Neither can you perform exercises 3 hours a day and skip the whole week. It takes definite time and practice to reach the goal. Repeating the same exercises every day with the same enthusiasm and hard work can help you gain the flexibility you are long-longing for. 

You can always try variations to keep yourself entertained. Lunge with a spinal twist, frog stretch, butterfly stretch and seated neck stretch can help you get over the boredom and improve flexibility. Likewise, you can jump to different meals such as Peanut, cheese, fish and turkey to taste the deliciousness and gain flexibility. 

Hot showers relax your muscles.

        After performing tiresome exercises and stretches, do not forget to take a warm bath or hot showers. They help your muscles overcome pain, improve flexibility and relax your body. A hot shower is an ultimate cure to sore muscles and a burdened mind. Hence, spare half or one-hour after working out and spend it under warm water. 

Pull out your dancing shoes and make some moves.

        You must have noticed that dancers have admirable flexible body. Ever wondered why? Dancing can do wonders in boosting flexibility and improving muscle stretch. Dance workouts or Zumba helps in maintaining the consistency of muscle movement and at the same time, relaxes other body parts. All the waist movement, shoulder moving, twirling, upper-body twisting can help you achieve a flexible body in less than no time. 
Bottom line

       Flexibility is a great asset. It can help you skip old-age joint pain and body stiffness. However, achieving flexibility is not a cup-of-tea. It requires a lot of willingness, hard work and control. Choosing healthy food over pizza and burger, exercising daily with pain and boredom, and maintaining consistency. Flexibility is a long process, but once you have mastered it, the only sky is the limit!